Display hooks, typically mounted on apertured panel board, slotted panels or the like are in widespread usage for displaying carded merchandise for sale. In many cases, such merchandise display hooks are combined with label-mounting means for presenting product information and pricing in association with the carded merchandise. A common form of such label-mounting means consists of a label holder arm projecting above and generally parallel to a merchandise supporting arm and mounting a label-holding device at its forward extremity, advantageously in a position directly in front of the outer end of the merchandise supporting arm. The label-holding device, in such cases, serves an additional function as a means for guarding the outer end of the display hook element against accidental contact.
One advantageous type of label-mounting means for this purpose, which has been recently introduced to the market place, comprises a wire-like label holder arm extending outward, above the merchandise support arm, and terminating at its outer extremity in a cylindrical cross bar element. The cross bar element serves as a pivoting support for a plastic label holder, allowing the label holder to hang downward in front of the outer end of the merchandise support arm. The pivoting action of the label holder facilitates product removal from the associated product support. If a product being withdrawn forwardly from its display hook engages the plastic label holder, the holder can simply pivot upward out of the way as necessary to allow the product to clear. An additional advantage of pivoting label holders in general is that, with respect to product items displayed at a low level, viewing of the product information and pricing is facilitated by allowing the customer to simply reach down and tilt the label holder upwardly, rather than having to bend or crouch to read the contents of the label.
A particularly advantageous form of label holder used with the above described pivotal mounting, is a plastic extrusion having front and back panels, joined along their bottom edges to form a label pocket open along the top and sides. At least the front panel is of transparent material. The panels are joined in such a way that the front panel tends to press rearwardly against the back panel to lightly grip a printed paper information label placed in the label pocket. These new label holders have become very popular because they enable the use of inexpensive plain paper labels. Principally, the above described label holders have been used with the above described hooks, providing a flip-up mounting. However, merchandisers have an installed base of many, many millions of display hooks designed for fixed label mounting. In a widely used such label mounting means, a wire-like element terminates at its outer extremity with a welded-on, substantially vertically aligned mounting plate. The plate serves as a support to rigidly mount a different type of plastic label holder which is designed to be installed laterally (i.e., from the side) or vertically, from the top.
The present invention is directed to a merchandise display hooks of the general types described above, including an inexpensive, improved, dual purpose label holder, which is designed to be mounted on either type of label holder arm, whether it has a cross bar for pivotal mounting or a mounting plate. To this end, the label holder of the invention includes an upper mounting portion designed to engage either a cross bar, for pivotal support of the label holder solely by the cross bar, or to mount on an upper edge of a mounting plate for fixed support on the label holder arm having a mounting plate. The label holder also includes a lower mounting portion designed to engage a lower edge of the mounting plate. Thus, a single type of label holder can be manufactured, inventoried and installed on either type of the above-described holder means. The novel design modification of the present invention requires only an insignificant increase in manufacturing expense, and results in substantial savings in distribution, inventory, installation and modifications.
For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and to the accompanying drawings.